Blood and sand: Hold you close
by SpiderMonkey98
Summary: "The only thing a person can ever really do is keep moving forward. Take that big leap forward without hesitation, without once looking back. Simply forget the past and forge toward the future." Follow on from Blood and Sand: Baby Braxton


_**"We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."**_

* * *

_"There was three in the bed and Lani said roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and Dad fell out._  
_There were two in the bed and Lani said roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and Mum fell out._  
_There was one in the bed and Lani said roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and Lani fell out."_

Lani giggled as she fell out of her mum and dads bed. Casey came over and picked Lani up and held her in the sky as if she was an airplane.

"Daddy, put me down!" She giggled

"Coming in for landing" He said putting her back on the ground

"Alright you two Muppets, I'm gonna go make breakfast" Denny said walking out into the hallway

"Muppet" Casey said to Lani

"Muppet" Lani shot back

Casey poked his tongue at his daughter as she poked her tongue through the gap where her two front teeth used to be.

"Wind will change and you'll stay like that" Casey said

"So is that what happened to you dad?" Lani giggled as she ran out to the kitchen with Casey chasing after her

"No running in the house" Denny said as she put some bread in the toaster

Lani walked over to the cupboard on the wall in the dining room and got a framed photo off the shelf. "Morning Aunt Lani" She said after she kissed the photo of her aunt and her dad.

"Annabelle Lani Braxton" Denny called from the lounge room "Come here for a second"

"Mum it's Lani" She winged as she walked over to her mum

"We named you Annabelle and your staying that till your 18"

"But that's 12 years away" She complained

"13" Denny corrected "And clean up your matchbox cars or they go in the bin"

"Fine" Lani said picking up her cars and putting them in a box

* * *

"What's wrong with her wanting to be called Lani" Casey asked Denny

"It's not her name and it's too soon"

"Den it's been almost 7 years, it's fine"

"I know _you're _fine with it but is everyone else?"

"They all call her Lani and no one's ever hesitated"

"Can we go to uncle Brax's today daddy?" Lani asked tugging on Casey's shirt.

"And why would you want to go to uncle Brax's?"

"Because Harley and Darcy might be there"

Casey looked at Denny with a smile on his face "How do you know that?"

"There might be a text message on your phone from uncle Brax" She said holding up his phone

"Come on hand it over" He said putting his hand out asking for his phone back "How did you even get into it?"

"Don't make your pass code the year I was born" She said walking to her room

"How doe's a five-year-old know how to use a phone?"

"They're getting smarter, soon they'll know how to drive at birth" Denny joked

"She already can" Casey said shocked

* * *

"Dad you promised" Lani complained as Casey opened the gym door

"Don't put words in my mouth" He said

Lani looked at him confused

"I've got some things to do here but we'll go to uncle Brax's after"

"Alright" She said getting her pencil case out of her bag and sitting at her dads desk

"Where's your notebook" Casey asked

Lani shrugged her shoulders "I don't know"

Casey got some paper out of a draw and put it in front of her "Don't draw on anything else, OK"

"OK dad" She said as she took the lid of her texta and began to draw.

* * *

"Annabelle, wait up" Casey called as he and Lani got out of the car

"Lani" She yelled as she stopped and turned around

"Got you to stop didn't it" He joked "Come on" He said holding her hand

"How old is Darcy?" Lani asked

"19"

"And Harley's six?"

"Yep"

"That makes me the younger" She complained "I hate being the younger"

"Youngest" Casey corrected "Your older than Oliver remember"

"No I'm not"

"Yeah, he's born in November and you June remember"

"He keeps telling me not"

"Well he's just tricking you"

"Like uncle Brax used to do to you"

"Yeah" Casey said as he opened the door

"Darcy" Lani yelled as she ran up to her

"Annie" She said as she picked her up hugging her

"How come you let Darcy call you Annie?" Casey asked confused

"Because you're her un-cool dad" Heath said as he went up to Casey

"You can talk" He joked as he gave Heath an manly hug

"How you been?" Asked Heath

"Good, hows the city"

"Alright, How Den and Lani"

"Den's good, Lani different story"

"She's living up to her name is she"

"Yeah, something like that" Said Casey "Where's Brax and Ric?"

"Their out the back, come on" Heath said walking out the back

"Oliver!" Lani yelled as she ran up to him

"Hello midget" He replied

"You lied to me, I'm older than you. _You're _the baby of the family"

"No I'm not"

"Yeah, you're born in November and I'm July"

"June" Casey corrected

"Games up mate" Brax said to Oliver "She's onto you"

"Dad's the one who told me to do it" Oliver said pointing at Brax

"I'm not angry at you Oli, I'm not the baby anymore" She laughed as she ran off with Oliver and Harley chasing after her

"Careful you three" Ricky called out as she came the back door

"Hey Ric" Casey said

"Hey Case, is Den coming?"

"Yeah she should be here soon"

Casey went and sat on the bench and Ricky sat next to him

"Hey is everything alright Case?"

"You're alright with calling Annabelle Lani right?"

"Yeah"

"And so's Brax?"

"Yeah and so's Heath and Kyle, Case what's this about?"

"Denny doesn't think its a good idea and I'm beginning to second guess it"

"Why?"

"Maybe it's too soon"

"Casey everyone's alright with it, it's our last memory"

"Maybe she's too much of one"

"They way I see it we got Lani back, I don't think we should change that"


End file.
